Coop Update; The Parthenon of Peeps Part 1

So much as been done in the last few weeks I’m not even sure where to begin. The short version is that the girls are now happily ensconced in their new home and there are 11 new chicks in residence!

But how did we get here?

In the last post I referred to the “Taj Majal of chicken coops,” given the sheer size of the coop, but due to some design changes, the coop has been renamed the Parthenon of Peeps.

The bulk of the building was done by Chris and Sharon who laid a concrete foundation around the perimeter and then built the sections of the frame using 2x4s and 4x4s.

Cutting the support posts

Laying the foundation

Sharon, Chris, and Morton

The external structure is 12×16 feet. It has full-sized doors with latches on either side and is wrapped in “hardware cloth” on all sides, doors and even the roof. We have predators, even in the city, who would like nothing more than a tasty chicken dinner and our goal is to keep them OUT.

Inside the enclosure is the coop itself. It sits on an elevated platform and is approximately 5×5 feet square and about 4 feet tall inside. There are 3 nesting boxes and several perches inside the coop.

Putting the back door on the coop for easy access to eggs.

This mama bird was sitting on her own nest overseeing the building project. I think this photo might be larger than lifesized.